Ask the CEO

This page provides a place for stock analysts and business magazine editors to ask our Chief Executive Officer common questions and receive an immediate answer.

Select your question from the list below, then click the corresponding "Answer" button to see the answer.

Q. Your competitor has introduced a new unit which has more features than yours and sells for a quarter of the price. Most of your product lines have not been updated in many years. How will you meet the increasing competition?

Q. Recent reports in the press have raised questions about the veracity of certain aspects of your company's financial statements, specifically a number of observers have reported seeing a large number of unmarked semitrailers leaving your plant on the last day of the quarter and arriving at leased warehouse space not affiliated with your normal distribution channels. Is your company truly meeting the very aggressive quarterly increases in shipments which it had projected, despite the announced delays in the start of production for your new YZ99 units?

Q. Are your products year-2000 compliant, and what actions have your company taken to prepare for any possible disruptions due to non-compliance on the part of vendors, customers, or government agencies?

Q. Your vice president of engineering recently accepted a position with your primary competitor. While not openly critical of your company, in a recent interview he stated that he is "looking forward to working with an organization which truly supports innovation by giving engineering the resources needed to hire top quality people to design the kinds of exciting new products that customers are seeking." When do you anticipate filling the position he left vacant and what are you doing in general to retain key personnel in view of the current tight labor markets?

Q. You recently lost the weapons system support contract which has been generally considered to be an automatic renewal for your company. This contract has represented the largest portion of your DOD business over the last three decades. To what do you attribute the loss of this contract and what steps are you taking to regain your customary share of military contracts?

Q. There have been persistent rumors of a strike in your factory next fall when the collective bargaining agreement comes up for renewal. Do you believe the concerns of labor will be addressed in a way which will avoid a strike, and how will the terms of settlement effect next year's earnings?

Q. Your company's sales have been flat and its stock price has maintained a steady downward trend for the past five years. What steps are you taking to improve performance?